N.K. Premachandran, MP, has rubbished the claim by the management of English Indian Clays Ltd. (EICL) that raw- material shortage had forced it to suspend operations at its Kochuveli and Thonnackal units.
“This is nothing but a ploy to avoid the payment of bonus and revised pay to the employees,” Mr. Premachandran, who is also president of the English Indian Clay Factory Employees’ Union, said in a statement.
The management had issued the closure notice on July 15, 2019, though it still had enough raw material — China clay — in stock.
It was astonishing that EICL exhausted the stock precisely on the eve of the day scheduled for the payment of bonus, Mr. Premachandran said.
He alleged that the management and certain approved EICL trade unions were cheating the employees. The management should reopen EICL and pay the bonus and the revised pay, Mr. Premachandran added. EICL had halted operations on August 10, triggering protests from the employees.
Govt. intervention sought
Trade unions at EICL have demanded the urgent intervention of Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan and Labour Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan to reopen EICL. The government should take practical steps to protect the industry and the employees, CITU, INTUC, and BMS at EICL said in a joint statement. As many as 1,500 families were dependent on the company for their livelihood, the unions said.
